Week two= Had little trouble with carry on games one&two and on the last game instead of moving left i moved right and shot straight up the first arrow with a little speed and shot 254. Hoping for a little better carry.

I have now drilled 3 Invasions. Two with my favorite drillings and one for a certain ball motion.

The first Invasion is drilled 5 x 65 x 35. The surface was left OOB. This layout places the pin above my ring and mb next to my thumb. The Invasion with this layout reads the lane 2'-3' sooner than my Virtual Gravity (with a similar layout) with around 5 more boards total hook than the VG. The Invasion has a strong ball roll and great carry.

The second Invasion is drilled 5 x 45 x 45 with a hole 4" from grip center through the cg. The surface on this ball was altered lightly by hand with an abralon pad to 2000. This layout places the pin below my ring finger and the hole down. This is the strongest ball I have ever thrown. This Invasion is earlier at the breakpoint due to the surface change, but more continuous than the first. This Invasion out hooks the first one by 4-5 total boards. Will be the first ball out of my bag on longer and heavier patterns.

The third Invasion is drilled 5 1/4 x 75 x 20. The surfaced was polished. This layout places the pin about 2" above my ring finger and the mb above my thumb. The layout and surface change are to try and make this Invasion read the friction quickly and then roll forward through the pins. I like to use this ball when a hook/stop reaction is desired. I chose an Invasion due to the large core to help with carry. I got just what I was looking for out of this Invasion. I'm able to play the middle of the lane with a quick read off the end of the pattern and great carry.
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Tom Hess
Storm Regional Staff
Vise Staff
Etonic Staff

This is my review on the Storm Invasion that i purchased on 3/5/2010.
Just a quick note, i have been using Storm/Roto-Grip equipment only since 1994.

I am a right handed player, high track & low rev stroker. The Invasion i left OOB finish, drilled 4 x 4, with a balance hole, pin just to the right & slightly above my ring finger. I used it for the 1st time on 3/13-3/14 during the Green Mountain Open, Rutland, Vermont. The ball does need oil & it really hooks! For my 1st 3 game set (5 person team event), the condition was broken down a bit & i had games of 190-198-217. Next 3 game set was on a fresher condition & this ball did not disappoint! Games of 258-223-227 (no splits).
My average for the 9 games was 214, using only this ball. My league scores, the week of 3/14, using the Invasion: 234-223-206=663 (flat 43' pattern)-269-279-278-(825)-258=1084 (2nd shift wood)-236-247-216-300!=999 (2nd shift, synthetic, moderate oil). For strokers, like myself, & with fresh or tournament condition, it's a great ball! I highly recommend this ball. The Invasion keeps the pins low & really hooks!

I have a pic of the drilling on my web page.
http://www.richmanzerjrbowling.com

Rich Manzer Jr.
USBC Level 1 Instructor

Pattern: THS approx 40' with a lot of friction outside of 10
Bowler: See profile for specs
Ball: 15#, 4" inch pin, out of box finish
Layout: 5" pin to pap (well above ring finger), 2" buffer to VAL, MB 3" from pap
Balance hole: none

As much as I liked my Virtual Gravity I ended up using it just long enough to break down a pair then switch to the Virtual Energy most of the time. The reason I like the VE so much is the stronger backend.  I don't have "the hand" to get the high entry angle that scores so well on a THS unless I've got the right ball and up to this point that ball has been the VE on the medium patterns and either the Reign or the Fast on the drier conditions...nothing for the wetter conditions.

After using the Invasion for several weeks now I know I've got something in the bag that will work better for me when the lanes are playing a bit wetter than usual...and something that I can more easily move in with as the track gets worn.

The strong back-end of the Reign and the Fast reminded me of how I felt the first time I threw a reactive resin ball about 15 years ago...skid, skid, skid, skid, skid, flip!  With today's heavier oils (much heavier than 15 years ago) I haven't seen that look in a while on a fresh pattern. It was usually skid, skid, skid, skid, skid, hook a little.  Now with the Invasion I have skid, skid, skid, FLIP, STRIKE!!!

I'm basically echoing Erik Forkel's earlier review...great ball!

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Storm Amateur Staff, Central Texas
Click here to read about The LAB pro shop
Read more about bowling up a Storm here!

See profile for stats.

Lay Out: 5.25" from PAP at 75* PAP angle and 40* VAL angle. Dual angle measurement would be 75/5.25/40. The pin ended up above my bridge. I added a weight hole down on gradient line P4. Out of the box this layout was very tight flaring and I wanted it to open up a little more.

Surface: I hit it lightly with a 4000 abr, then used the Surface Factory at the Storm/RG USBC booth to knock it down to 2000abr.

Purpose: I wanted to have a strong ball for longer patterns and higher volumes.

Lane Condition observations: I have thrown it on our house shot and also thrown it at USBC Nationals along with the Ohio state tournament at the D/S house (Stonehedge in Akron). On our house shot, it was very smooth and a little slow off the spot so I added the P4 hole which is down in the thumb/side quadrant. It separated the flares more, but the ball was using up too much energy trying to get back to the pocket. At USBC's, it was too much ball and I had a hard time getting it off the headpin playing at them. I moved in some and this one labored and I had better options with me so I bagged it. USBC's for me this year were strong on the back end and we bowled the low end of the stadium which historically has hooked more than the high end. I hit the Surface Factory up before we left just to try it with a uniform 2000 abr surface on it. Our second shift league is now on the fresh since the league in fron of us finished up and the center has finally rediscovered what the oil button is. The Invasion was money as I threw it during both sets all three games moving across the lane with it. At the Ohio states, it was too much ball during the team event which was on older wood. At the S/D house on older Anvillanes with newer pro anvilane heads, this ball was unreal. Once I got it out and went to a roll-up-the-back release and a little more straighter up the lane, I had the world from about 13-7 and went 177 over for the 5 games I threw it on a sport pattern!


Final Thoughts: I will be completely honest on this one, I was expecting the big motion that the Virtual Gravity gave me right out of the box. This one was more slower off the spot and controllable for me. I was debating plugging it and trying a stronger layout since when I drilled it up I was worried that a strong drilling out of the chute was going to make this ball a once in a while ball. I almost left this one at home when packing for USBC's. Since I put this ball in the Surface Factory at USBC's, this ball has been a beast and hard for me not to start out with. Now I am debating drilling a second one up with a slight tweak to get a little more stronger layout to compliment this one and possibly another to put a shine on the get an even stronger motion at the spot from.

Additional thoughts: I have read some of the comments on the message board about this ball being a dud. I would hope that the folks doing the commenting have made some adjustments with surface and/or layout before making that declaration. I was a skeptic also, but a surface change has made an entire different outlook regarding this ball. The coverstock is very strong, probably too strong for the volume of oil that many centers put out in todays game.
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"Why don''t you call me sometime.....when you have no class" ~~Rodney Dangerfield to Sally Kellerman, his college professor in Back to School ~~1986

Mike Craig - Storm Products Pro Shop staff -Columbus, OH

I've heard all kinds of rumors about this ball being a dud before purchasing it.  I bought my invasion about a month ago to be exact.  This ball is a very well engineered piece of equipment.  The asymmetrical core delays the ball from finding it's axis a little slower than a symmetrical core Which I think is a remarkable design for playing deep parts of the lane, saying around broads 15 and deeper.  The ball does not skid/flip with a monster hook on the back end of the lane. The hook is more even through out the whole lane until the back end with a very predictable break point. The ball reads the lanes before the arrows, and it continues to hook through mid part of the lane, all the way to back end with a strong hook into the pocket. This reaction is not like a skid/flip.  In my honest opinion, I think this ball is more suited for power tweeners and power crankers, who are looking for a piece of equipment designed for medium-heavy oil conditions Who needs a bowling ball that can be controlled, is predictable, that has a strong hook with out the aggressive reaction on the back end like a skid/flip bowling ball.
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2010 is the first time joining a league since 1999.  Over a 10 year lay off and haven''t lost much of my game.   This year currently HG-279, HS-733.

Bowler Stats: Left handed, 19 mph, 320 rpm, pap 4.5 by .5 down
Layout: Pin in middle finger 6" from pap mb below thumb(x hole 2" below pap)
Test pattern: Scorpion and THS

I wasnt sure what to expect with this layout on the invasion, but what i hoped for was a controlled reaction...which is what i got especially when i added the extra hole. This ball works well on medium length and medium volume patterns...anything too long or heavy and its not quite enough. This ball is very clean thru the front of the lane and has a strong mid lane read which is what i was hoping for. Bowlers with high rev rates or slow speeds will need to alter surface or consider different drilling options when considering this piece of equipment, however the ball does serve its purpose very well! Thank you Storm!

Scot Archabal

www.viseinserts.com
www.proamsports.biz
www.stormbowling.com

First, let me state that I read some of the grumblings about this ball not being very good.  I sure can't see that at all.

My PAP is 4 9/16 over and 3/4 up.  I used a ball with a 3" pin out and 3 1/4 top weight before drilling.  I drilled the ball with the pin 5 inches from PAP with the MB strong, or in about a 75 degree position.  MB is about 2 inches right of my thumb hole.  Pin is under and just left of my middle finger.  I used a low extra hole, 1" by 2 1/2 deep.  The statics ended up about zero/zero with 7/8 top weight after drilling.  

I shined this ball out of the box with Storm #2 Polish, which is very gritty and leaves some texture to a shiny ball.  I have a Virtual Gravity at box and a Furious box with very little games on it, so I didn't need/want another snow tire.  I wanted a little more versatility, and with my medium speed, a little shine works well on strong, solid balls.

This is quickly becoming my favorite layout.  As this is a very strong ball, I wanted it for fresh and oily lanes.  I've used it on PBA Shark in a regional in Houston, fresh house shots in a few different centers, and the PBA World Championship pattern during practice.

The Invasion gets good length on the fresh, but struggles to get down the lane when the shot starts to go away.  I just have to keep moving left to keep the ball in the oil in the front.  The ball is very smooth/even off the end of the pattern, almost too lazy on a house shot.  I'm able to create more area with other balls on the THS.  It worked great on the Shark, as I was able to start left of 4th arrow and keep a tighter line left of third arrow to the pocket.  It was strong enough to give me some area right and smooth enough to hold on tight shots missed a little left.  I had a good shot on the World Championship pattern playing outside 5 (older AMF Synthetics) with less hand, I could bump the gutter and get some hold around 5 when I was clean off my hand.

This ball hits really well, seems to carry light hits really well.  It carried high hits well on the Shark pattern.  I seemed to ring a few 10 pins when I missed right on the house patterns as the ball did not jerk in the track area, and seemed to be lazy off the spot in the drier track area. (Not necessarily a bad thing)  The ball worked best on the house pattern when I played it a little left of where I thought I should be, gaining some hold, and like I said, ring 10 on misses right, snappier balls would probably go high on the same condition.

This ball sure seems like a winner from Storm.  Fairly versatile, needing oil.  Straight players could probably use this ball on mediums with some polish.  The boomers will probably want a pin up drill to get some extra length.  Compared to the Virtual Gravity, this ball has a similar rolly feel to it, but much cleaner up front, and a more defined break point down lane.  Total hook is about the same.  The Virtual hooks more on fresh soup as the shiny Invasion is just too long.  The Virtual is not really usable on the THS as it is really early, rolly, and does not have much recovery down lane, even with it's pin up drill.  These two compliment each other pretty well for me.  The Furious hooks only about a board or two more than the VG, but the hook is more down lane, more back end.  On the Shark, the Furious hooked about 4 and 2 more than the Invasion, but was a little more critical to make a good shot as it read the dry in the front even faster.  I like all three balls, they are all different from each other.  I think I would like to try another Invasion with a pin up drill and no hole, I think this could be an awesome THS ball if there is some volume.

Sorry so long, hope this helps ya!!
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Me, a couple balls, two lanes, all that is right with the world.  Bowling is my haven!